Nightmares
by Nargalad
Summary: What's real and what's not? Daniel couldn't tell. The only thing that was real was love.


Okay, just a not before you read...

Yes, I do live in the past. oh well. For people who can't just enjoy a story, I realize that Sha're died long before Daniel went psycho for a while. Just pretend we're in an alternate reality.

I hope you like the story. Please R&R!

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All she could do was watch. She couldn't be with him, his behavior was too unpredictable. He didn't even recognize her, his own wife!

It was the visions, the memories of his subconscious. They terrified Daniel. He huddled close to the soft, white walls hoping to blend in, hoping to disappear. All he wanted to do was escape his nightmare. Sweat plastered his dark hair to his forehead and he screamed out in pain. He had just been hit by a staff weapon. Or was that part of the illusions too? He couldn't tell anymore. His dreams were becoming his reality and reality was just a dream.

Looking in at the defenseless man, Sha're pleaded to the doctor, "There must be something else we can do. Isn't there anything at all?"

"We're doing all we can. Sadly, it's not helping. From what I can tell, the hallucinations are getting worse and worse." Said the doctor, not sugarcoating the truth.

"Then I'll go to him." Resolved Sha're. The doctor was going to object, but before he could, she continued saying, "Look at him. Daniel needs me, even if he knows it or not."

She paused long enough for the doctor to object, "If you do go in there, I won't be able to guarantee your safety."

"Daniel once promised me that in life or death he couldn't hurt me. I still hold that promise to be true." She knew that deep down Daniel still loved her. With unwavering faith in him, she opened the door and stepped into his white prison. "Daniel." She spoke softly to him.

He heard a voice. It was the first voice he had heard in days. Of course there were screams and shouts of hundreds of people at times, but this was the first single voice he had heard for a long time. Immediately he knew who was speaking. The softness, caring and love for him portrayed in her voice had given it away. Even so, he didn't dare go to Sha're for fear of her being only a dream. It was a cruel joke, he thought, teasing him like that.

"Daniel!" She called out again.

"He didn't know what to do. He couldn't lash out at her. That would be unthinkable! But at the same time he was so filled with anger at the thought of not being able to be with the one he loved even though she was standing right there. All he could do was try to hide in the corner again and wish the images away. But no matter what he did to get her image out of his mind, it didn't work. She was always standing about three feet away from him waiting for a chance to hold him.

From nowhere a snake appeared and bit him. Daniel cried out and cradled his arm where this unmerciful nightmare had hurt him. For the first time in a long time he broke down and sobbed.

Sha're couldn't take it any more. She ran over to him and, despite any possible reactions on his part, she held him in her arms. Finally Daniel gave in. Even if she was only one of the visions, he let her hold him because he felt safe in her arms. As he cried on her shoulder, Sha're kept whispering, partly for her benefit, "It's ok."

On the other side of the glass window, Teal'c, Samantha Carter, and Jack O'Neall came to see how their friend and teammate was.

"Is he going to be alright?" Asked Sam.

"I can't give you any guarantees, but with her in there he seems to have calmed down a bit. Daniel is strong, but considering what he has been through, it may have been too much for him. It's still anybodies guess how this'll turn out." Then the doctor looked over at him uncertainly.

The three of them stayed there in support of Daniel for a while. None of them wanted to leave, but the doctor had to leave and wanted to supervise any visitors Daniel had. He left a nurse to watch Daniel and to report when Sha're leaves.

Sha're stayed with Daniel for almost three hours. When she was about to leave, she softly said to Daniel, "Daniel, I have to go home now."

Being unable to speak because of all the trauma of the last few days, all he could do was shake his head with a wild look in his eyes that pleaded her not to go. He was scared, scared of being alone, scared of being without Sha're again, scared of the visions.

She knew this. But what could she do? She could just stay with him, just be with him. Sha're decided it wouldn't hurt if she spent the night there, so she did. She comforted him when he screamed, and tried to fight away his fears as best as she could.

By morning he had slept five straight hours. Thinking this would be a good time to slip away for some breakfast; Sha're silently got up and headed for the door, motioning to the nurse to open it for her. The door creaked and woke Daniel who leapt for the door only to have it close in his face.

He knew it had only been a dream, something that was too good to last. But when she arrived five minutes later carrying two trays of food, all thoughts of her being only a dream vanished and he knew that she was his Sha're.

After breakfast, Sha're told Daniel that she needed to go back to her home world. This time Daniel had no objections. He knew she'd come back to him; he knew how much she loved him.

Just before leaving the institution, Sha're found the doctor who had heard of her overnight stay. Instead of being angry with her, he only asked, "How is he?"

"He's going to be alright. Everything's going to be alright." She answered and then smiled.


End file.
